Satkhira, Khulna
Satkhira
The south-western corner of Bangladesh, on the Indian border: shrimp and crab country, early Himsagar mangoes, and the quieter western gateway to the Sundarbans at Munshiganj.
Local food to try
Where to eat
Where to stay
Culture
Satkhira’s south is a frontier between farmland and forest.
- Mawali honey collectors, crab catchers and fishermen from Shyamnagar work in the western Sundarbans, and many honour Bonbibi before going in.
- Shrimp (bagda) ponds and crab fattening farms fill the coastal land, much of it for export.
- The Munda community, an Adivasi people, lives in villages around Shyamnagar.
- The Jeshoreshwari Kali temple at Ishwaripur draws Hindu pilgrims from Bangladesh and India.
- In the north, Satkhira is known for Himsagar mangoes, among the first in the country to ripen each summer.
History
Satkhira lies at the far south-western edge of Bangladesh, bordered by India to the west and the Sundarbans to the south. In the late sixteenth century this was the land of Raja Pratapaditya, one of the Baro-Bhuiyans who resisted the Mughals, and the remains of his time are still pointed out around Ishwaripur in Shyamnagar, close to the old Jeshoreshwari temple.
Under British rule Satkhira became a subdivision, first of Jashore and later of Khulna, and in 1984 a district of its own. The Bhomra land port near the town is one of the country’s busy crossings into India.
The south of the district — Shyamnagar and Assasuni — is low, salty, tidal land at the edge of the forest. Shrimp and crab farming have reshaped it over recent decades, and Cyclone Aila in 2009 left deep scars that the coastal villages are still recovering from.
Plan your visit
Best time to visit
November to February for the Sundarbans; late May to June for Satkhira’s early Himsagar mangoes
How to get there
- By bus from Dhaka: across the Padma Bridge via Jashore or Khulna, roughly 5–7 hours depending on route and traffic. Some buses run on to Shyamnagar and Munshiganj for the Sundarbans.
- From Khulna: frequent buses, about 2 hours.
- From Jashore: buses take about 2 hours.
- By train: there is no railway in Satkhira; take a train to Khulna or Jashore and continue by bus.
- By air: the nearest airport is Jashore.
Getting around
- In Satkhira town, use rickshaws and easy-bikes.
- Buses run south from the town to Shyamnagar and Munshiganj, about 2–2.5 hours.
- Around Shyamnagar, easy-bikes and motorbike taxis go to Ishwaripur and the riverside villages.
- The Sundarbans are reached only by boat from Munshiganj, with Forest Department permission.